Sarah Beth Briggs’ return to the University’s concert series on Wednesday night began with a set of three works showing the progressive side of the Classical era giants. Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor moved without constraint between ideas, Briggs’ playing emphasising the sometimes disconnected nature of the music.

Haydn’s Sonata no. 60 in C major was no less forward-looking. Written for the then unusual six octaves of John Broadwood’s pianos, it makes full use of this extensive range. Played with requisite vigour, Briggs performance again showcased the ingenuity of its composition.

Beethoven’s Sonata no. 7, Op. 90 was the most formally free and introspective of this set of works, but may have been better placed between the more direct sonorities of Mozart and Haydn.

Britten’s rarely heard Three Character Pieces were bookended in the second half by two typically virtuosic outbursts by Chopin. The first – his Fantasy in F minor – showcased Briggs’ brilliant technique at breakneck speeds, but its musical substance merely ambled from one monotonous theme to another.

It would have been difficult to place the Britten without a programme, its musical language sometimes bursting at the seams of tonality. Some more space may have helped grasp this fleeting music, but this was certainly an energised performance.

Chopin’s ever-popular Ballade no. 1 in G minor did what it was supposed to at the end of the programme, before an encore of Debussy’s ‘The Girl with the Flaxen Hair’ provided a much-needed digestif.

Always expertly played, this programme would have benefited from more Classical experimentation and less Romantic bombast.

Martin Scheuregger